A Responsibility To Your Readers

As a travel blogger, you have a duty of responsibility for your audience. Your readers have already come to rely on you for the latest destination information and travel advice, but are you keeping their welfare in mind as you’re writing?

Do you think about the situations your readers may face when you recommend:

While you are the expert on travel, you should also be the expert on protecting your readers. Or, at minimum, informing them of the risks that are inherent to the activities you recommend and how to manage those threats.

One of the easiest ways to help protect your readers on their travelers is by recommending travel insurance. While most global travelers know the importance of travel insurance, the majority of US citizens do not. In fact, according to the US Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office, nearly 72% of US citizens who traveled overseas last year did so without travel insurance. That’s a lot of people who were exposing themselves to unnecessary risks.

Health Insurance Doesn’t Travel Well

Most US travelers assume their home health insurance will cover them abroad. This is not always the case. Often, US-based health insurance providers, including Medicare, will not pay to a foreign hospital or medical facility. This means that a traveler requiring emergency medical care will have to pay directly out-of-pocket. In our years of experience, we’ve seen travelers max out credit cards, and even mortgage their homes, in order to pay for medical care abroad. If there’s even a remote possibility that something you recommend on your blog could result in the need for medical care (we’re thinking skiing, snowboarding, surfing, etc.), you may want to alert your readers to the need for proper travel insurance coverage.

Violence Is Everywhere and Terrorism Is Real

As scary as it is, violent attacks and terrorism can happen in even the most unsuspecting locations. Just this past year, popular tourist destinations like Paris, Bangkok, and Copenhagen have seen bombings and mass shootings. Your travelers should know what to do – and who to call – to get the most up-to-date information and help if they need it. Most of the time, that’s their travel insurance company. (One great informational resource is the RoamRight mobile app. With a RoamRight policy, travelers get safety and security alerts with actionable advice sent directly to them.)

It Never Hurts To Have A Backup

Finally, do your readers know what to do if the airline loses their luggage? Are they at the mercy of the airline or do they have a support system in place to help them replace – and reimburse them for – their lost items? Having a back-up plan, for any kind of travel situation, is a great way to travel at ease and stress-free. Your travelers should know what you to do – and you can help by educating them!

If you haven’t yet talked to your readers about travel insurance, maybe it’s time you did. If you’d like more information about travel insurance in general – or about RoamRight specifically – come find us at TBEX North America. We’ll be there!

TBEX sponsor RoamRight offers travel insurance plans for leisure, business, student, and group travelers traveling within the U.S. or internationally. Their insurance is underwritten by Arch Insurance Company, a market-leading specialty insurer with an A.M. Best financial strength rating of A+ (superior). Their staff and customer service representatives are travel insurance specialists who offer customers expert information about trip cancellation and travel medical insurance coverage options.